Talk About Tennis 2.0

After van Rijthoven won that 2nd set it has been all Novak in the 3rd.

Cuckoo4Coco wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:54 pm After van Rijthoven won that 2nd set it has been all Novak in the 3rd.

I wanted to mention the Centre Court 100 year celebration today as I thought it was a very well done and awesome celebration. Many of those past champions that came back, I have never seen play unless I viewed them on video. What Novak and Roger and Billie Jean King said though really was what I thought was really most important in the entire celebration. When they all talked about the players that paved the way for them and mentioned players like Pete Sampras and Martina and even when Novak said he feels so honored to be standing here with all of these past champions and he was more nervous there than playing on Centre Court. This is what it is all about. The legacy of players and those who pave the way and those players we all look up to. That is why I look up to these tennis players. Even Coco Gauff who is only 2 years old then me, I look up to her because of what she has already accomplished in her tennis career at a very young age. It gives me inspiration.

That is what it is all about and I thought the celebration was amazing to showcase these champions from the past.

It brought a smile, and I am not very fond of celebrations. To me, three big people were missing: Navs, who could not be there due to C19, Steffi and Sampras. Pete was, to me, such a special player at W because he played the style that I thought was "correct" (my bias, there is no correct way to play tennis other than the one that gets the ball in one time more than your opponent), and both him and Graf personified grace on the surface.
I wish they had been there. 7-time champions should have made the trip.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:48 am It brought a smile, and I am not very fond of celebrations. To me, three big people were missing: Navs, who could not be there due to C19, Steffi and Sampras. Pete was, to me, such a special player at W because he played the style that I thought was "correct" (my bias, there is no correct way to play tennis other than the one that gets the ball in one time more than your opponent), and both him and Graf personified grace on the surface.
I wish they had been there. 7-time champions should have made the trip.

Another player I was shocked wasn't there was Serena Williams who was just there playing.

Cuckoo4Coco wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:06 am ...

Another player I was shocked wasn't there was Serena Williams who was just there playing.

Now that you mention her. Indeed, a big gap in that lineup.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 4:28 pm It is not the score, is that Alcaraz seems a bit out. A bit like Iga yesterday (keeping the differences in players).

Yes, I got the same impression..like his heart wasn't really into it..

Of course I had expected Sinner to win anyway ..it may be that both Alcaraz and Swiatek could tell even in practice that their game wasn't going to work on grass so got discouraged before they even stepped onto the turf...

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:17 am Of course I had expected Sinner to win anyway ..it may be that both Alcaraz and Swiatek could tell even in practice that their game wasn't going to work on grass so got discouraged before they even stepped onto the turf...

I just don't understand that way of thinking at all. I really think every player that enters into the draw feels they are going to win every match, especially the higher ranked players. If they have that attitude then why enter the tournament at all.

Also in the case of Swiatek who was on a 38 match win streak and everyone in her camp and all over the place telling her she is the one that is going to take this title for sure was discouraged at all with her game and her capabilities even on grass? You have to be kidding me. She was on a roll and a super high. She was not discouraged about anything in her game. She just got beat that day by someone who played a better game that particular day. Possibly 9 out of 10 other times they play she would have won.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:48 am It brought a smile, and I am not very fond of celebrations. To me, three big people were missing: Navs, who could not be there due to C19, Steffi and Sampras. Pete was, to me, such a special player at W because he played the style that I thought was "correct" (my bias, there is no correct way to play tennis other than the one that gets the ball in one time more than your opponent), and both him and Graf personified grace on the surface.
I wish they had been there. 7-time champions should have made the trip.

Couldn't believe Sampras wasn't there. Then Steffi and Agassi. Then Seles. Then Serena. Guess Serena didn't want to stick around.

Do you think everyone was invited?

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:49 am
Couldn't believe Sampras wasn't there. Then Steffi and Agassi. Then Seles. Then Serena. Guess Serena didn't want to stick around.

Do you think everyone was invited?

Yes, was definitely surprised that Sampras, Steffi and Agassi were not there. i guess Serena left London after she lost in the 1st round.

Seles never won Wimbledon, she got to the finals once and lost to Steffi.

The one guy that was there and was really old was Rod Laver. A true legend of the game and even though I don't know anything about his game or him as a player other than he was called "The Rocket" it was great to see him there.